Seamless stocking and process of knitting the same.



E. E. KILBOURN, W. E. SMITH & I. W. KILBOURN.

SEAMLESS STOCKING AND PROCESS OF KNITTING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23,1909.

Patented Sept. 15,1914.

[NVENTORS rkavac W By Alfomey 5 ITED s ATEs PATENT OFFICE.

nwAim E. KILBoURN, WILLIA E. simian, AND I'sAAo w. KILBOURN, or NEw BRUNSWICK, NEw JE sEY, AssIGNoBs 'ro KILEoUEN MANUFACTURING CORPO- NATION, OF NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY.

SEAMLE SS STOCKING AND PROCESS OF KNITTING THE SAME.

of Knitting the same; and we do hereby de- I clare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described reference being had to the accompanying drawing which illustrates our improved stocking produced by our improved process. and the said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

The accompanying drawing represents a side elevation of a stocking embodying our invention.

0111' improved invention is based on a new discovery made by us that in order to fit the human 'foot a seamless stocking should be larger, that is to say, longer and wider along the foot than it is through the corresponding portion of the top of the foot, or to express the same idea in another way, so that the bottom portion shall be approximately a size larger than the corresponding upper portion of the foot of the stocking, and the invention consists, therefore, in a new circular knit stocking and process of knitting the same,- the new stocking being knit with a sole portion between the heel and toe pockets formed of stitches of sufficiently greater length than the corresponding courses of the top of the foot thereof to make the bottom portion of the foot longer and wider than the top portion of the foot, thus affording ample room for the bottoin of the foot, and drawing the top'portion, which is exposed when worn with low,shoes, pumps, or other slippers, snugly and neatly over the foot without wrinkling or sagging and avoiding strain along the bottom of the foot, which if present, would tend to cramp the toes, draw the toe joining on the top of the foot too far forward, and drag down the reinforced portion above the heel, known in the art as the high-spliced portion, and

v in other words, efliciently shapes and Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 15, 1914. A Application filed September-23,1909. Serial No. 519,202. I

fashions the stocking to the form of the average human foot, whereby this novel structure is permanently imparted to the stocking in the process of knitting and cannot be lost in subsequent laundering.

The invention is designed especially for, although not limited in its application to, a fine grade of hose in which the fabric of the leg and the top of the foot is preferably knit with a very fine yarn, and in which the portions which are subjected to the greatest wear or strain are so reinforced that this thin and delicate appearing stocking will wear as well, as one knitted throughout with much heavier stock. In this class of hosier) as it has been produced heretofore, the insertion of a splicing thread throughout the sole of the stocking results in making the fabric of the sole of the foot shorter,

tighter, thicker, and less elastic than the corresponding number of courses on the top of the foot which are knit with the regular or finer yarn only. Asa result of this structural characteristic there is a greater strain lengthwise from the toe to the rib top along the sole around the heel and up'the back of the leg, than from the toe, over the instep and the front of the ankle and leg, when the stocking is worn. This produces a slackness over the ankle which causes the stocking to wrinkle and set badly at that point where it is most exposed to view when worn with a low shoe, and is objectionable. If as is usually the case the stockings are spliced or reinforced at the back above the heel portion, this part is also shortened as compared with the same number of courses on the front of the ankle, and accentuates the result just described. The strain of the fabric around the heel also tends to drag the reinforced portion above the heel downward at the rear as indicated by the dotted line a: in Figure 1 of the drawing and it is necessary to carry the reinforcing a number of courses higher on the leg as indicated by the dotted line y, in order to insure that the stocking will be properly protected from the wear of the shoe at the rear above the heel. spliced or reinforced portions higher than is necessary or desirable as indicatedat a, and

causes the splicing 'to show unnecessarily when the stocking is worn withlow shoes.

This carries the side portions of the A footand'back of'the" legbbefore alluded to has a tendency to draw thelooped un1on s where the upper edge of thepocket is united to the outeredge of the-upper part of the foot portion, too far forward upon the 'top of the toes where it will .beezrposed to undue wear.

In carrying out the improved process herein'described, which' may be done by hand or by a suitable knitting machine, the leg of the stocking indicated at a is knit 1n the usual-manner with the desired thread or ence. The stitches forming this high spliced portion are lengthened to such an extent that the spliced portion is of greater length than the corresponding number of courses of the front portion of the stocking. The heel portion a may be knit in the usual. manner, but

it is preferred to knit it of a different yarn from that which composes the leg and foot portions, to use a heavier yarn than the splicing thread and to lengthen the stitch in knitting the heel although this is not essential. After the heel pocket is formed the foot is-knit, the top portion d being knit with the regular or light thread, and the sole portion e'being knit with the regular and splicing thread, and the stitch of the needles forming the sole portion is lengthened so that the sole portion 6 will be of greater length than the corresponding number of courses of the top portion of the foot. The toe pocket f is then formed. preferably of the same thread and in the same manner as the heel and the upper edge of the toe pocket isunited to the upper part of the foot portion by looping as'usual. In knitting the heel and toe pockets, it is preferred to lengthen the stitch" to a greater extent than "when knitting the' sole and high spliced portions and the heel and toe pockets are preferably knit with'the heaviest thread employed in the stocking to provide greatest wearing qualities at those portions of the stocking. Y

If desired a rib top indicated at 9 can be run on the needles in a well known manner before the leg is knit, and we prefer to run entirely around the leg. Itisals opreferred to run" the splicing thread over the top of the foot-during the last courses-before the toe-pocket is formed, as indicat d at Where the splicing thread is knit all the way around the tubular fabric as at a and d it is not essential that the stitch should be lengthened.

In a stocking knit by thisimp roved proc- I ess" it :will be seen that as the bottom of the foot is of greater length than the top, the

greater strain will be from the toe over the top of the foot, and u the front of the leg, thus preventing the ormation of wrinkles and causing the fabric to fit smoothly and neatly over the ankle and instep thereby shaping the stocking to conform to-the shape.

of the human foot. In lengthening the stitches in the sole, sufliciently to make the sole portion actually longer than the corresponding portion of the top of the foot as hereinbefore described, the stitches of the sole portion are obviously coarser than those of the top of the foot, and the fabric of the sole is necessarily increased in width also,

asa result of the lengthened stitches em- 1 ployed therein. There is no tendency to distort the high spliced portion above the heel and only the minimum number of courses need be provided-to insure the protection of I the stocking at that point. The spliced or Y 4 reinforced portions can be made thicker than when the stocking is knit in the old way, as the lengthening of the stitches as described permits the use of a heavier reinforcing ,the top cam cylinder which operates only' the series of needles knitting the back half or portion of the stocking with means whereby the downward pull of the needle in drawing the stitch can be adjusted to change the length of the stitch of said nee dles without affecting the character of stitch made by the other needles which are actuated by aseparate cam cylinder. This can knitting earn on a vertically movable slide, and providing said slide with a set screw, operable by hand for securing the cam in be conveniently effected by mounting the different vertical positions to which it may be adjusted, or the vertical adjustment of the knitting cam can beeifected automatically as desired.

The invention is also applicable to the production of stockings of the well knownsplit foot type, that is in which the top and bottom portions of the foot are formed of separate threads, the sole portion of the foot being knit with a heavier thread than that used in formin the top of the foot, or being provided wit a reinforcin thread through the sole of the foot, the stltches of the sole portion of the stockin being of sufficiently greater length than t ose forming corresponding courses of the top of the foot to secure the results of the invention.

- It is to be noted that the lengthening of the stitches referred to herein is not merely for the purpose of enabling a heavier thread or a reinforcing or splicing thread to be more freely drawn in. The lengthening of the stitches as described performs a function beyond and more important than this in that it enables the stocking to be fashioned or positively shaped in the operation of knitting to fit the foot of the wearer and at thesame time adjusts and distributes the natural strains in wear so as to prevent the distortion of the heel and toe pockets, and to insure a smooth and Perfect fit over the instep andankle portion'of the foot.

In stockings knit on circular knitting machines, as heretofore made, the fabric being tubular, it tends to remain in the form of a straight tube except asthe extra fullness of the heel pocket resists this tendency. Such stockings are given their final shape by means of boards or forms on which they are stretched and pressed, but obviously this forming is lost in the subsequent laundering of the stocking. According to our invention the lengthening of the stitches through the sole, or through the sole, and heel and toe, and in some cases also in the portion above the heel, produces a stocking which is actually much longer on the bottom of the foot than it is on top, irrespective of whether it is reinforced or not, and the resulting stocking is thus positively given a shape conforming to that of the foot and leg of the wearer. This shaping is in the structure of the stocking and is not afiected by subsequent laundering. The lengthened stitches are, as a matter of fact, either composed of heavier thread or filled with a splicing thread, and the fabric comprising the lengthened stitches is not left open or slazy, as would be the case if the same knitting thread were used that is used in the portions knit with the tighter stitches. This shaping or fashioning of the circular knit stocking in the manner herein described obviates the objectionable features hereinbefore referred to and secures the new and desirable results before set forth.

Another result secured by our invention is that the elongation of the sole portion of the foot beyond the length of the top portion eliminates a plurality of courses form 1. The herein described process of knitting a seamless stocking having narrowed and widened heel and toe pockets, which consists in knitting the leg of the stocking by circular knitting with a tight stitch, then knitting the heel pocket by'reciprocating knitting, and narrowing and widening, then knitting the top portion of the foot with a tight stitch, and knitting the sole portion of the foot with sufiiciently longer stitches, to make it of greater length than the corresponding portion of the top of the foot, and then knitting the toe pocket by reciprocating knitting and narrowing and widening, whereby the strain in use will be greater over the. top of the foot and front of the ankle than around the heel and toe and along the sole, thereby shaping the stocking to conform to the foot and preventing distor tion of the heel and toe pockets and the formation of wrinkles in the instep and ankle portions. j

2. The herein described process of knitting a seamless stocking having narrowed and widened heel and toe pockets, which consists in lmitting the leg of the stocking by circular knitting with a fine thread and a tight stitch, then knitting the heel pocket by reciprocating knitting and narrowing, and

widening, then knitting the upper part of the foot ,with a fine thread and a tight stitch and knitting the sole portion as a heavier fabric and with sufliciently longer stitches to make the sole portion of greater length than the corresponding portion of the top of the foot, and then knitting the toe pocket by reciprocating knitting and narrowing and widening, whereby the strain on the fabric in useis greater over the top of the foot and front of ankle than around the heel and toe and along the sole, thus shaping the stocking to conform to th'foot and preventing distortion of the heel and toe pockets, and the formation of wrinkles in the instep and ankle portions.

3. The herein described process of knitting a seamless stocking having narrowed and widened heel and toe pockets, which consists in knitting the leg of the stocking by circular knitting with a fine thread and a tight stitch, then knitting the heel pocket by reciprocating knitting and narrowing and Widening, then knitting the upper part of the foot with the fine thread and a tight stitch and lmitting the sole portion with said fine thread with the addition of a splicing thread and lengthening the stitches of the i spliced sole portion makethe 'sole portion s'ufliciently longer than the 'corresponding part of the topof the foot, and then lmit-i over the top of the foot than around the heel and toe and along the sole, thus shaping the stocking to the foot and preventing distortion of the heel and toe and the formation of wrinkles in the instep and ankle portion.

4, The herein described process of knitting 'aseamless stocking, which consists knitting the leg portion by circular knitting with a fine thread and with a tight stitch, knitting the heel pocket with a heavier thread by reciprocating knitting and nar-. rowing and widening and with a longer stitch than the leg portion, knitting the foot portion by circular knitting, knitting the top of the foot of the light thread and with the tight stitch and simultaneously knitting the sole portion of the light thread and. a' reinforcing thread, and with a sufficiently longer stitch than that'of the top of the foot to make the sole portion longer than the corresponding portion of the top of the foot and knitting the toe pocket of heavier thread by reciprocating knitting and narrowing and widening and with a longer stitch than the leg portion and top of the foot, whereby the strain on the fabric in use will be greater on top of the foot'than around. the heel and toe andalong the sole thus shaping the stocking to the foot and pre-' venting distortion of the toe and heel, and the formation of wrinkles in the instep and the ankle portion.

5. The herein described process of knitting a seamless stocking, which consists in knitting the leg portion by circular knit-. ting with a fine thread and with a tight stitch, knitting the heel pocket/with a heavy thread by reciprocating knitting and narrowing and widening and lengthening thev stitch beyond that of the leg portion, knit ting the top of the foot with the light thread and tight stitch and knitting the -sole portion as a heavier fabric, and lengthening the stitches sufficie'ntlyto make the sole por-f: tion longer than the corresponding top p0r-' 7 tion of the foot, and knitting the toe pocket of heavier thread by reciprocating knitting and narrowing andwidening and lengthen-' ing the stitches, the thread in the-heel and toe being thicker than that used inthe sole portion, and the stitches in the heel and toe being of greater length than those in the sole portion, whereby the strain on the fabric, in, use, will be greater over the top of the foot than around the toe. and heel and along the sole thus shaping the stocking to the foot and preventing distortion of the heel and toe and the formation of Wrinkles in the instep and ankle portion.

-6 The herein described" rocess of'knitting-a seamless stocking, w ieh consists knitting the leg portion by circular knitting down to'a point above the'upper' edge ofthe heel pocket with a light thread; and with- ,tightstitches, thnkhitting the rear portion of the leg above the heelas a heavier fabric and lengthening the" stitches throughout the heavier portion so -formedwhile continuing to knit with the light thread. and tight stitch in thecorresponding courses of the front/of the leg, then knitting the heel pocket with a heavier thread :by reciprocatingknitting and narrowing anduvideni'ngand lengthening the stitches of the heel to a greater ex--' tent than in the said heavier portion above the heel, thenknitting the top portion of the foot with the light thread, and tight stitch and knitting the sole portion as a heavier fabric than thetop of the foot and 85 lengthening the stitches'of'the sole portion sufiiciently to make the length of said sole portion greater than the corresponding portion of the top of the foot, then knitting the toe pocket of a heavier thread than the sole portion by reciprocating :knitti i' and narrowing and widening and lengt ening the stitches ofthe t'oe, to'a greater extent than those of the sole portion 'andthe heavierportion above the heel, whereby the strain on the fabric, in use, will be greater than around the heel and toe and along the sole, thus shaping the stockin'gto the foot and preventing distortion of the high spliced portion and heel and toe pockets and the formation of wrinkles in the instep and an kle portion. V

7. A seamless stockingprovided with twin rowed and widened heel and toe pockets having the sole portion of the-foot 'ofgreater length than the corresponding top portion of the foot whereby the strain on the fabric in use is greater over the top of the foot than around the heel and toe and along the sole,

thus shaping the stocking to the foot and preventing distortion of and undue wear on having the leg portion and top of the foot portion formed of thin fabric, the sole-portion being of heavier fabric and of greater length than the corresponding portion of the top of the foot, whereby the strain on the fabric in use is greaterover the to of the foot, than along the sole, thus shaping the stocking to the foot andipreventing dis-' tortion of the toe and'heel pockets and the formation of wrinkles in the instep and ankle portion.

9. A' seamless stocking provided with narrowed and widened heel and toe pockets, having the main portion of the leg and topv of the foot formed of thin fabric, a heavier portion at the back of the leg above the heel,

and of greater length than corresponding courses of the front part of the leg, and a -sole portion of heavier fabric than the leg and top portion of the foot, and of greater length than the corresponding courses of the top of the foot, whereby the strain on the fabric in use, is-greater over the top of the foot and front of the leg, than around the heel and toe and along the sole, thus shapin the stocking to the foot, relieving the hee and toe pockets of strain and undue wear and avoiding wrinkles in the instep and anthan the corresponding courses of the top portion of the foot, the heel and toe being formed of heavier fabric than t e sole portion, and having the stitches therein of greater length than those of the sole portion,

whereby the straln on the fabric when in use is reater over the top of'the foot and front of eg, than it is around the heel and toe and along the sole, thus shaping the stocking to the foot and preventing distortion of the heel and toe pockets and the formation of wrinkles in the instep and ankle portion.

In testimony whereof We .affix our signatures, in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD E. KILBOURN. WILLIAM E. SMITH. ISAAC W. KILBOURN.

Witnesses:

JOHN EnroKsoN, Trmononn Yoosn, 

